Black Ain't Your Color
by Smash King24
Summary: Wii Fit Trainer is getting up there in the years, and it's about time she started thinking about a soulmate. She's been pretty down on her luck when it comes to dating, until one day a mysterious man in black armor enters her life. He's cruel, vile, unmistakably evil in every sense of the word, but for some reason she finds herself being drawn to him. WiiFitxGanon legit
1. Chapter 1

Black Ain't Your Color

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Chapter 1

* * *

The quest for true love is a dangerous path that very few manage to complete unscathed. In Wii Fit Trainer Wendy's case, another breakup to add to her previous four was nothing new. She had spent years trying to find the perfect man, her one knight in shining armor that would free her from Super Smash Bros. and show her that there was more to life than mastering the art of yoga. It seemed, however, that the older she grew, the harder it was for her to find love. And at the rigid age of 28, she was about ready to quit the low road and take a spin at the popular online dating apps.

"I'm sure you'll find someone eventually," reassured Princess Peach, stirring her cup of tea ever so delicately with her plastic teaspoon. "There are plenty of fish in the sea after all."

Perhaps she was right, but if that sea just so happened to be limited to the pool of Super Smash Bros. competitors like it had been previously, then Wendy might as well have been fishing in a shallow pond.

"It's not that Marth and I didn't get alone," replied Wendy, trying not to sound rude. "It's just that…I can't date a guy who can't beat me in an arm wrestle…"

It was as embarrassing for Prince Marth just as it had been for her when she trounced him in what was supposed to be a one-sided game between a typical boyfriend and girlfriend. In hindsight, it was actually kind of funny, but to add insult to injury, she ended up being the one to break up with him, and only after about three weeks! The two hadn't even kissed at that point.

"My advice," said Peach. "Don't date royalty. Even if you do manage to get in, there's no escaping the politics that comes with it. Believe me; I would know."

She calmly sipped her cup as Wendy twiddled with the stir-stick in her hand. She hadn't even touched her drink since she received it from the barista, but fortunately, her medium coffee with milk hadn't gotten too cold. Already she was starting to have second thoughts on the whole thing, yet the devil in her heart was telling her that if she didn't break up with Marth then and there, then it would have eventually happened a few months down the line anyway. That's how the story went with Luigi, Ryu, Ike, and Mr. Game & Watch as well, although the reasons varied from pathetic to ridiculous. Every case ended with Wendy having to cut the ties, however, thankfully early enough that none of her ex-boyfriends had been left with any scars. Well, except for Luigi, but he always cried whenever it came to interacting with girls anyway.

"I just don't know what to do anymore," said Wendy in exasperation, the stir-stick falling from her grasp. "I've dated a swordsman, a martial artist, a prince…hell, I even dated a 2D guy, and he only knew how to talk in beeps!"

"They obviously weren't the right type for you," replied Peach reassuringly. "What is it you look for in a guy?"

Wendy sat there, puzzled as she pondered the question that she hadn't really thought of before. She was kind of used to dating guys left and right, usually giving them a pass if they looked better than average and were in good physical shape. She never really took the time to evaluate her previous experiences though, going by a sort of "living in the moment" type of code that the past few years staying at the resort had taught her.

"I guess I'd like someone who is older than me," she muttered before sitting up in her seat. "And maybe bigger than me." She squeezed her fists as more ideas started coming to her. "And he has to be strong, or at least be willing to follow a healthy diet." Her eyes wandered to the small lights on the ceiling. "And he's gotta be cool! Not like edgy or something, but just…you know…confident in himself. He has to be mature, but also funny, and maybe kind of daring sometimes." She was on a roll now, the very thought of such a Romeo existing making her heart flutter like a high schooler's first crush. "He has to be tough and mean to people that he doesn't like, but have a softer side for me when we're together. He has to enjoy walks in the park and animals and also exercising. Oh! And he also has to like sports. Not like football or anything, but maybe hockey or tennis or something, you know? And he has to know how to fix cars! And also be a handyman! And maybe…" She sighed. "Maybe he wouldn't mind cuddling with me every now and then." Her head sank a little as she mentioned her final wishes. "Not every day if he doesn't want to, but sometimes…yeah, that would be pretty nice."

Peach had put down her teacup long before Wendy had finished her list of requirements, and quite frankly she wasn't surprised why she had broken up with all of her exes so quickly. With standards like that, it was a wonder how Wendy could even manage a relationship, especially when she herself was no Juliet, being a tomboyish fitness instructor partaking in a fighting tournament.

Needless to say, after Wendy had calmed down, Peach couldn't help but stifle a giggle.

"I think that's the kind of guy every girl wants," said Peach jokingly. "But no one's perfect. It's like a give and take. You might meet someone who is really good with cars, but then he might not be one for exercising or training. You have to accept them for their good and their bad parts."

Wendy indulged in her coffee as she listened, taking note at how good Peach was at giving advice. That's not the reason why they had met up at a coffee shop in Smashville of all places, no, but she supposed it was a fortunate side effect of being friends with the princess. Originally their plan was to come out and just enjoy the weekend together, but one conversation led to another and the next thing she knew Wendy was listing off the reasons why Marth was better suited to a gay relationship than a straight one. It's not that Peach didn't want to hear it though. There was a time in her life when thirsting for gossip was all she did in this town, but with Wii Fit Trainer Wendy having her usual romantic problems, nothing was really new anymore.

"The good and the bad parts, huh," replied Wendy, staring at the contents of her mug. "I guess I can live with that." She smirked. "But come on, if he already comes with all the good parts, how many bad parts can there be?"

Peach was prepared to give a rebuttal, something along the lines of how people like that were few and far between, but she never got a chance to say anything. The crowd in the café had suddenly become deathly quiet for some reason, the relaxing ambiance now ruined as the music was cut and a chilling wind entered from the front doors. All eyes in the café had turned to the entrance, employees and customers alike freezing in place as they realized that they were being visited by the very incarnation of evil itself.

A tall man had entered the café, followed by two armored soldiers bearing skeletal faces. Natives of Hyrule would recognize them as Stalfos, undead warriors from days past that only served the highest power. Tailing their leader, the soldiers clanked into the café, casting glances at the various civilians as if to petrify them, although most of the attention was drawn to their large swords and dented bucklers.

The man leading the group was none other than Ganondorf Dragmire, a competitor in Super Smash Bros. that Peach had known since the Melee days. This was the first time Wendy had seen him in person though, and like many who saw Ganondorf for the first time, she was in awe. He carried himself with unwavering charisma, a grin on his face that practically beckoned for someone to step up to the plate and challenge him. His heavy armor clanked in unison with his cohorts, while a sword imbued with dark aura hung loosely at his hips. Unlike the Stalfos, his eyes narrowed in on his objective, the brown-haired barista standing next to the coffee machine just on the other side of the counter. Fixing his bearded grin, he casually stalked up to the bar, his underlings taking their places on either side of him while facing the rest of the shop with menacing glares.

The poor Mii that was behind the counter was shaking uncontrollably as Ganondorf leaned in towards her, admiring her inability to conquer her fear.

"A little birdie told me that this place sells the best coffee in all of Smashville," he said, eyes lingering on the petrified barista. "Is it true?"

The silence in the room was deafening, Princess Peach herself starting to feel uneasy at this point. She was fully prepared to bring the brawl to him though, for she knew that Ganondorf had a reputation for causing mischief. The only problem was that he was notorious for covering his tracks, so unless she could catch him doing anything funny, she was forced to bide her hands. Wendy, on the other hand, was more intrigued than fearful of the dark lord, for never in her life had she seen someone command so much attention with such little effort. From his excellent poise to the very aura circulating around his body, it was almost as if the very elements themselves were slaves to Ganondorf's whim.

The poor Mii that Ganondorf had been addressing this whole time shook her head, but then quickly reaffirmed herself by rapidly nodding in panic.

"Y-Yes, that is correct," she stammered, refusing to look the man in the eye. "Is there s-something I c-can get for you today?"

Ganondorf took his sweet time giving a reply, relishing the moment he was having toying with this mortal. A few more seconds of silence passed, but the Mii still did not open her eyes, instead choosing to quiver and possibly wetting herself in the process.

"That jerk…" mumbled Peach, clenching her delicate fingers into a fist. "I ought to give him a piece of my mind."

"Shh, no wait," whispered Wendy, holding up an arm to stop her. Admittedly, she was so enamored by this bizarre event that she wanted to see the end result without any intervention.

"There _is_ something you can get for me," mused Ganondorf, perusing the various items scribbled on the blackboards above. He didn't bother reading any of it though, for he already knew what he had come here to do. "One coffee. Extra large. Black. Brewed to perfection with your finest alchemic instruments." He paused momentarily as the Stalfos on his right tapped him on the shoulder, nodding its head with puppy-dog eyes. Ganondorf sighed. "And a small strawberry-mango smoothie." He produced a small leather-bound case from his belt, levitating it in midair before spilling a couple of coins onto the counter.

As the barista scrambled to count the change, Peach simmered herself down, but not once did she dare to take her eyes off of Ganondorf. It's not like he wasn't the center of attention as it was, but in a way that's how Ganondorf liked to play. Whether he was winning or losing, he always enjoyed putting on a show, especially since most of the time the conflicts ended with him walking away with the prize. Regardless, it's not like he was doing anything out of line. Sure, seeing him in a coffee shop of all places was suspicious, since normally he was busy isolating himself from the rest of the world in order to plot its inevitable demise, but as long as he was following the rules, there really wasn't anything to call him out on.

He had cast a glance to Wendy and Peach's table for a split second, but the moment was frozen in time when Wendy made eye contact with him. She was able to get a good look at his profile, taking note of his sharp nose, the tanned skin, and the scruffy beard that complimented the rest of his black armor quite nicely. He lacked a bit in the hair department, although his jawline was very defined, and he seemed to be one for accessorizing with the colorful jewels around his head. At a glance, he didn't appear scary at all, but at the same time, Wendy had no idea about his origins. To her, he was just a tall, dark stranger, a capable man with the uncanny ability to silence a room with just a few words off the tongue. To the average Smashville citizen, Ganondorf was a menace to society, but in her eyes, he was an enticing mystery just waiting to be solved. And that's ultimately what caused her to stare even after Ganondorf had received his beverage from the barista.

"Keep the change," he said while handing his subordinate the sugary drink he had ordered for it. The Stalfos downed it in an instant, its brother shaking its head and rolling its eyes at the child-like behavior unfitting for a soldier of darkness. Ganondorf paid no mind to them, however, for he now had an extra-large freshly brewed cup of coffee in his hand, complete with a cardboard cozy and the letter "B" scribbled on the side of it.

"You fool," he said to the Mii, the grin on his face growing wider by the second. "Do you have any idea what you have just done?"

The barista shook her head as she continued to quiver, now starting to wish she had taken the day off as opposed to going through this customer bullshit.

Ganondorf raised his purchase up high as if he had been given a chalice of life-giving water. Little did the various onlookers know that he now had an unstoppable source of power at his disposal, with free will to do with it as he pleased. Not only that, but he now knew where he could get limitless supply of this caffeinated substance, and all after one measly payment of $4.75.

"You mortals have sealed your doom!" Ganondorf shouted before ripping off the top and chugging the boiling-hot coffee. A small earthquake immediately shook the store, plates and cups dancing across tables while people screamed and ran for cover. Peach scrambled to get to her feet, but the miniature fissures forced her back onto her butt, while Wendy stared on at the spectacle, bewildered by the thought of what was going to happen next.

The coffee poured into Ganondorf's mouth, although some of it spilled onto his face, burning him but leaving no marks behind as the pain quickly dissipated into nonexistence. Already he could feel the hot liquid entering his system, coursing through his body as if it had broken from his stomach and entered his own blood stream. He clenched the remains of the plastic cup in hand, throwing it to the ground as he let out a mighty howl.

"This is it!" he roared. "This is what true power feels like!"

Peach feared for the worst, thinking that she would have to rally the other members of Super Smash Bros. in order to put a stop to this madness, but fortunately, Ganondorf's rampage was short-lived. Not even two seconds after he had expelled that last bit of energy the earthquakes subsided and all the commotion had ceased. The innocent civilians who had run or ducked under tables for shelter sat there confused and dumbfounded by the strange turn of events. The entire café was back to normal, although there were still a few messes to clean up from the few spillages. What they were left with was the sight of Ganondorf standing in the middle of the shop, shouting at the top of his lungs about unstoppable power or something like that. No one was really sure since he started gurgling once the coffee had caught up to him.

The Stalfos soldiers escorted him out of the café, where he then proceeded to throw up on the sidewalk. Apparently, nobody told him that coffee was meant to be enjoyed in small sittings and not chugged down all at once. The display alone had earned a hilarious response as several customers who had been cowering in fear just moments before were leaving their seats to behold the sight of the King of Evil falling victim to his own stomach. Murmurs and chatter soon picked up as the commotion carried over to the front of the store. Miis, Toads, and other characters alike were already on their phones to take pictures of Ganondorf puking out his guts, his Stalfos underlings unsure of what to do as they stood there rubbing their dark leader on the back.

"Serves him right for causing a scare like that," said Peach dutifully. "He almost ruined my dress with that stunt."

Wendy, although hearing very well what her friend had said, watched curiously from afar as the crowd began to grow with more onlookers. Even the Mii that Ganondorf had intimidated at the counter was up there to get a glimpse of the action.

"Peach," she said in wonder. "Who is that man?"

"Ganondorf?" replied Peach. "He's a ruthless scoundrel who wants nothing more than to take over Hyrule and turn it into a desolate wasteland. Don't waste your time with him. Let's just finish out drinks and go."

She proceeded to enjoy the remainder of her tea while ignoring the murmurs coming from the other side of the room, but Wendy couldn't look away. She found herself struck by a curious sensation, like a cat longing to reach out and catch the mouse that she had been chasing her whole life. There was something about that man that really stood out to her, but what that thing was exactly she wasn't quite sure. Still, it didn't change the fact that she was getting excited just thinking about it.

"Ganondorf, huh," she said with a devilish smirk. "Now there's a name you don't hear every day."


	2. Chapter 2

Black Ain't Your Color

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Chapter 2

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In the computer lab of the Smashville Public Library, the man known as Ganondorf fidgeted absentmindedly in his chair. The seats were designed with Miis in mind, whose butts were certainly smaller than that of the average Gerudo. He knew that the moment he opened Google Chrome, but with no suitable replacements anywhere in the vicinity, he was forced to settle with what the goddesses had so painstakingly given him. Neighbouring seats that had been occupied just moments before were now vacant, pushed away from the tables like an emergency evacuation had taken place. The mere presence of Ganondorf was so menacing that the average citizen couldn't bear to be within a 10 foot radius of him, and so the once busy computer lab now had a giant gaping hole where Ganondorf and his two cronies worked, while innocent Shy Guys and Toads browsed their internets while giving the occasional glance every now and then.

The two Stalfos that Ganondorf had following him into the coffee shop retained their positions on his left and his right, while the King of Evil himself perused various articles on steaming hot beverages. Neither of the soldiers really knew nor cared what kind of scheme their master was plotting, for their task was to guard him and to keep any annoying pests out of his hair. It wasn't exactly a fun job, but it was a job nevertheless, and when you're an animated skeleton with no need for food or money, you'll take whatever job you can get to save yourself from another thousand years of boredom.

For nearly fifteen minutes Ganondorf perused his articles in silence, hitting the print button every now and then whenever he found something that could potentially be useful to his plan. His soldiers were ordered to retrieve the papers and return to his side, and they did this about five or six times before they eventually figured out how to do it without stumbling over each other's feet. One of them had to manage the coins to pay for the machine, while the other did the loading and the retrieving. They had an efficient system going thanks to their intimidating features that more or less granted them first place in line whenever they approached the cowering Toads hoping to print off their homework assignments. The grace period between jobs left about a minute or two of alone time for Ganondorf, and while this normally wasn't a problem on any regular day of the week, a certain fitness trainer found it to be the perfect opportunity for her to break the ice.

Wendy slowly approached him from behind, looking over his shoulder plates to catch his eyes in the bright reflection of the screen. Surprisingly, he didn't seem to notice her, for he continued to click and scroll through Google's results casually. She couldn't get over how silly he looked in his tiny chair, coupled with the fact that even when sitting down, Ganondorf was still pretty tall. Despite the drawbacks, he maintained an upright posture with dignity, as if to impress onlookers who didn't get a chance to see his hefty figure the first time. Surely he was a man who needed to be met head-on by someone who commanded enough charisma that could match his own. This was no time to be shy. Ganondorf's attention could only be earned.

"Hey there," greeted Wendy with a smile, putting up her hand. "Ganondorf, right?"

The Gerudo in question turned to face her. Fortunately, there wasn't a hint of distaste in his eyes in the slightest, making him look a little more human than he otherwise would be.

"Ah, a staff member," he replied. "I didn't even have to summon you this time. Tell me, is there any way for me to remove these pesky advertisements from my sight?"

He was referring to the pop-up ads that had shown up on his screen just moments before, but it took Wendy a second to realize that he had confused her with one of the librarians.

"Oh, I don't work here," she said. "I'm a fitness trainer. See?" She pulled down on her tank top a bit to make the _Wii Fit_ on her chest more legible, although she could have been baiting him with something more entirely. "I saw you at the coffee shop this morning."

Ganondorf gave her a long hard look, his eyes never once moving away from hers as he studied her face in an attempt to remember.

"Yes, I was there," he said. "Although I don't recall ever running into a…" He glanced at the logo on her shirt again. "…fitness instructor."

"I was sitting at the table with Princess Peach."

"Oh yes, Princess Peach." The taste of her name on his tongue was appealing to him. "You must be a close friend of hers."

"Actually, I just met her last year," she replied. "I'm participating in the tournament this season as a newcomer."

Ganondorf nodded his head, somewhat amused by her remark.

"A newcomer, eh? Interesting. I would welcome you to the roster, but I believe it would be pointless in the grand scheme of things."

"What do you mean?"

Ganondorf chuckled. "I won't go into the details, but the princesses of this realm do not, shall we say, _get along_ with myself and my colleagues. I have a very distinct outlook on life you see, one that a vast majority of people in this world dutifully disagree with. Nevertheless, I highly doubt that you and I share the same interests, and so it would be best for us to maintain the same relationship I have with every other member of Super Smash Bros., which is either at an arm's length or simply out of my sight."

He spoke so casually, yet serious all the same. Wendy had a feeling that she wasn't the first to hear this little spiel from Ganondorf, and everything that Peach had told her up until this point was suddenly starting to make sense. Ganondorf just hated people without any questions asked, unless of course they had some kind of usefulness to him. While his words were normally meant to tear down his opponents without him having to lift a finger, Wendy could appreciate his sense of confidence and abrasiveness.

"Aw, come on, you shouldn't judge me based on that," she said. "You and I could have a lot more in common that you think."

She gave a smug smirk, which Ganondorf took quite well. He liked her spunk, especially since most people who talk to him tend to cower away or simply agree with him for the sake of not having an argument. Nevertheless, he was convinced that her positivity was a result of ignorance.

"Somehow, I doubt that," he said. "Now run along, girl. I have important matters to attend to."

He made an attempt to dismiss the conversation, having grown bored with it and all, but Wendy was persistent. She had managed to make it farther than most.

"First of all, the name's Wendy," she declared. "Wendy Wii Fit Trainer, or Miss Fit as some of my students call me. Second, I would think someone like you would have better things to do with their time than look at pictures of coffee all day."

Miraculously, Ganondorf turned around again, albeit unenthusiastically.

"You say that as if you have any idea of what I'm trying to do," he replied.

"Honestly, I don't know," she shrugged. "But really it's anyone's guess after that stunt you pulled in the café this morning."

The mere mention of that event didn't sit well with Ganondorf, but he maintained his cool since to him it was merely an honest mistake.

"That display you saw was nothing but greed in its purest of forms," he muttered. "The local authorities have since banned me from entering that establishment and any other establishment related to the buying and selling of caffeinated goods. It was a lesson well learned, but now I am forced to resort to alternative means, which is why I am here at the citadel of knowledge of all places."

"You mean the library?"

"If that is what you prefer, yes."

The Stalfos had returned with their papers, although they scrambled to return to their master's side when they noticed he was talking to a stranger. They immediately unsheathed their swords and bounded through chairs and book carts, causing a small commotion as nearby book-readers restrained themselves from screaming.

"Lay down your weapons," commanded Ganondorf while raising his hand. "She is not armed."

The soldiers towered over Wendy, glaring down at her with intent to kill should the word be given. Wendy just gave a sheepish smile.

"They're a lot bigger up close," she muttered.

"As I was saying, _Miss Fit_ ," said Ganondorf, chaining together the last two words as if they were one, "I have work to do. And while these soldiers may be loyal, they also get rather feisty when they aren't given any tasks to perform."

"I get the message," replied Wendy, glancing at the papers one of the Stalfos had in its grasp. "I'll be on my way in one second; I just have a question that's been bothering me since this morning. What's with the coffee craze?"

Again, Ganondorf chuckled, shaking his head in the process. The two skeletal soldiers started laughing as a reaction to their leader, but one glare from Ganondorf quickly shut them up.

"You will find out soon enough," he said with a grin. "It's been fun chatting, Miss Fit."

He turned back to his computer and that was it. There was no "good-bye," no "nice meeting you," not even a "see you around" in case they never end up talking again. Ganondorf was finished speaking, and when there was nothing more to be said, there was no point in continuing the conversation with mindless small talk. He was just as cold as Peach had made him out to be, although for Wendy, his perseverance outshined his harshness. She's had her fair share of off-days too, and she understood the fact that some folks just worked better alone. He would probably appreciate her more if she stayed out of his way, at least until he was finished printing off all of his articles.

"We'll talk again," said Wendy. "I hope you find whatever it is you're looking for."

She waited for a response, but Ganondorf was already back to scrolling through the internet. The soldiers retook their positions on either of his sides, creating a wall that officially put the conversation to a close. She took one last look at the Gerudo before scurrying off.

The mystery of Ganondorf was becoming more intriguing by the minute. Wendy had so many questions to ask him, most of which he likely wouldn't answer on the grounds that he saw her as an adversary. She couldn't get over how someone with a reputation such as him could be so enamored by something as simple as a cup of coffee. He had gone from ordering a sample at a café, to chugging the whole thing and puking it out on the street, to looking at online recipes at the nearest library, which is honestly a bizarre turn of events for someone who called himself the _King of Evil_. And who knew Ganondorf even knew how to use a computer? Obviously he was planning something devious, but if the key ingredient is merely a cup of coffee then how malicious could it be?

In any case, he was dead-set on obtaining that which he sought, and if the last conversation told Wendy anything, it was that Ganondorf would stop at nothing in order to achieve his goals. She supposed there was nothing wrong with meeting him halfway.


	3. Chapter 3

Black Ain't Your Color

* * *

Chapter 3

* * *

Ridiculous.

Absolutely, undeniably, ridiculous.

There wasn't another word that could describe the revolting backlash that Ganondorf had received from the employees of the Smashville Superstore. And after all the trouble he had gone through as well. It was quite a shame really.

It perturbed him why they would give him a hard time over such an innocent purchase. He had spent over ten minutes watching his minions shovel thousands of grams worth of ground coffee beans into clear plastic bags, only to have them confiscated by the manager's own small army of unenthusiastic teenagers. Apparently, he wasn't allowed to buy what he wanted if it meant there wouldn't be enough for other shoppers in the store, which to him was a ludicrous excuse given the fact that no one else seemed to be interested in the coffee beans. Granted, he had scared most of the patrons to other aisles on the floor, but that didn't change the fact that if anyone else wanted to buy coffee beans in bulk, they were going to have to go through two Stalfos and the wielder of the Triforce of Power himself.

As much as he would have liked to rip the head off of every Mii who so dared to cross his path, Ganondorf was forced back by his restraining order, which just so happened to be the exact same restraining order that prevented him from visiting any of the coffee shops in town. It didn't help that his two lackeys had somehow managed to spill one of the bags all over the floor, leading most onlookers to suspect that the commotion was a result of ol' Ganondorf trying to cause a ruckus again.

"I would set this whole world aflame if my powers were not so restricted," he grumbled, turning around to take a seat on one of his minions. The Stalfos who had lost that game of _Rock, Paper, Scissors_ winced as half a ton of steel-plated armor was dropped onto its backbone. The poor soldier was now serving as a makeshift chair, down on its skeletal hands and knees so that its master would not have to sit on the sidewalk. Its brother, the one who had won the bet and stood by watching, shrugged at the inconvenience seeing as how this situation was really nothing new for either of them.

"I don't understand it," Ganondorf spoke. "I'm an obedient lord. I've never stolen from anyone in this realm, nor have I killed anyone, and I follow every monotonous law down to its finest print. Why then, do these pathetic excuses for working class citizens make it so difficult for me to get the things I want?"

He glanced at the Stalfos standing before him, but the skeletal creature didn't seem to have an answer. It kind of just stood there dumbfounded, confused why its master would even bother asking it a nontrivial question in the first place. The other Stalfos, the one on the ground that was holding up Ganondorf's rear end, shuddered beneath the weight.

It was quite a depressing sight to see the all-powerful King of Evil sitting near the bottom of the stairs to the Smashville Superstore. Him being so deep in thought was a good thing for the many locals who just so happened to be passing by, although those who were wise made sure to give him plenty of thinking room. An innocent child had come by with his mother asking why there was a big scary man sitting in front of the store, and for that, he got nothing but a hand over his eyes as well as a small lecture on why nobody should talk about Ganondorf when he was within speaking distance. No one—absolutely no one—dared to get on Ganondorf's bad side. He may have been a law-abiding citizen as much as the next guy, but he was still a villain, a thief, a murderer, and a conjurer of demons all packed into one. It was best to watch him from a distance, preferably behind the screen of a television when he could be seen duking it out on the stadium grounds with other contenders of the Super Smash Bros. tourney. How funny it would be for one of them to see him now, reduced from his former glory, albeit until he decided to stand back up again.

A few blocks up the road, Wendy jogged at a steady pace, focusing on her posture and form to set an example for the young man running alongside her. He was one of her students at the Wii Fit Studio, a self-proclaimed engineer of sorts who went by the name of Shulk, and just so happened to be another newcomer in the tournament. He, like many of Wendy's students, normally took a few hours out of their week in order to train their bodies, whether it be through hard sports or soft yoga. Nevertheless, Wendy encouraged any and all kinds of physical activity, and these private sessions with her students gave her the perfect opportunity to keep her own exercising schedule in check.

"How we doin', Shulk?" she said, her headband soaked with sweat. "Feeling the burn?"

"Oh, I'm feeling something alright," Shulk replied, panting in between breaths.

"Another 400 meters should be good for the day." She looked straight ahead, gauging the remaining distance, but threw it all out the window upon seeing Ganondorf sitting before the superstore. "You're going to have to finish without me."

"What? Why?"

As much as she would have liked to, she couldn't state it to him just yet. There wasn't a person in this town who would understand why Wii Fit Trainer Wendy of all people would want to cut her daily exercises short for a man she had only known for a few minutes. Yet here she was, less than 50 meters away and quickly approaching the man in black armor who she had just met at the library. Even more curious was how distraught he looked, how he kept his gaze fixed on the pavement as if whatever answer he was looking for was somehow buried between the cracks. She could have easily run on by without saying anything, and it was likely that Ganondorf wouldn't even notice her if she did. Wendy took pity on him, however, considering how optimistic he was back at the library. She wondered if something had happened that would turn his day upside-down.

"I'll meet you back at the studio," said Wendy, removing her keys from her pocket and shoving them into Shulk's hand.

"Wait, you're leaving me?" he replied, fumbling with the silver key and a key chain in the shape of a Smash Ball.

"Just take the shortcut back; I'll be there in twenty minutes."

Shulk said something to object, but he was interrupted by Wendy pushing him onto the road, nearly colliding with an oncoming biker in the process. He stumbled his way to the other side, bewildered by Wendy's brash actions, but to her, it was merely an afterthought. She was far more concerned with Ganondorf's predicament and also wondered why he only had one Stalfos with him instead of two. Much like the library, a lot of the crowd seemed to dissipate around Ganondorf, some civilians even vouching to cross the street and resume their strolls much like she had forced Shulk to. It was almost comical in a way, for now not only did Ganondorf look miserable, but it was almost like no one even wanted to acknowledge it.

The second Stalfos did eventually come into view. Ganondorf was sitting on its back.

"Hi," said Wendy, slowing until she started jogging on the spot. "Fancy meeting you here."

The Stalfos that was standing up immediately drew its sword but was taken aback upon seeing Ganondorf raise a hand to cease it.

"Oh, it's you again," replied Ganondorf, eyes still fixated on nothing in particular. "Come to gawk up close I presume?"

"Naw," Wendy chuckled. "I'm in the middle of a training exercise right now." She continued jogging in place expecting Ganondorf to question her about it, but he said nothing. "I run on this street every other day or so. Got to get that cardio in somehow."

Ganondorf didn't seem amused at all by her comment and simply sighed.

"If you have nothing important to say, then please do run along," he said casually. "I am in the middle of something right now."

"The only thing you're in the middle of right now is the sidewalk," replied Wendy, finally coming to a stop, but taking the time to stretch her calves. "Let me guess. They kicked you out of the superstore."

Ganondorf smirked at her remark, once again admiring her spunk despite the fact that she was nothing but a little lady compared to him.

"For what reason, I'm still not sure," he said. "Why don't you go inside and ask a representative for me? Ask them why there is a Gerudo outside sitting on their front steps. Surely that doesn't look good for business."

"If I didn't know any better I'd say you did something to make them kick you out."

The Stalfos by Ganondorf's side nodded its head affirmatively, earning a sock in the gut that nearly broke the creature's midsection.

"I was only trying to make an honest purchase," said Ganondorf sincerely. "Coffee beans are not very common in the wild, you know. In fact, they can only be found in specific countries, in specific locations, under very specific climate conditions. These general good stores are the closest I'll be able to get to those resources. However, that doesn't change the fact that they have them in such a limited supply…"

Wendy was still catching her breath, impressed by Ganondorf's knowledge of coffee beans that he definitely learned about at the library. She found herself putting a hand to her headband, however, somewhat puzzled how Ganondorf's "secret plan" from this morning had devolved to him shopping at a local food market.

"You're still going on about the coffee thing?" she asked. "How much of that stuff do you need?"

"Well, if I told you, I would have to kill you," replied Ganondorf with a grin. "But I'm afraid that too goes against the laws of this land. Although, I suppose I could always settle for the next best thing and put a curse on you that prevents you from opening your mouth ever again."

Although most people would have taken that comment as a threat, Wendy saw it as more of a challenge. Not that she wanted him to put a curse on her, but if he was going to be that way, then two could play at that game.

"You couldn't kill me even if you tried," she said earnestly. "I've faced plenty of tough foes before."

"Heh, you're funny, girl," replied Ganondorf. "Don't let it go to your head that just because you are a member of the Super Smash Bros., you are somehow invincible. Every mortal has a breaking point. Some just so happen to be more resistant than others."

"I'm not letting it go to my head. I could seriously beat you in a fight one on one."

Her foolishness outshined her honesty, and to Ganondorf, that was all that he needed to believe. He wasn't about to partake in a pointless discussion about who could beat who, especially since very few heroes he knew of could stand toe to toe with him. Besides, only the weak in spirit bragged about their strength, and with no legal way to prove her wrong at the moment, pursuing this debate was ultimately futile.

"Should we ever encounter each other in the bracket, I'm sure you will be able to prove yourself," said Ganondorf, adjusting himself atop the back of his loyal (and sweating profusely) henchmen. "As I was saying earlier, Miss…Fit, was it? I have no time for small talk. Either you have something worth saying to me, or you do not, so unless you can determine a way in which I may walk out of this plaza with my cart of legally traded ground coffee beans, then I kindly ask you to resume your training and bid me farewell. At least by doing that we can _both_ get something productive done."

The Stalfos that he was sitting on was about to collapse, and so Ganondorf ordered his other minion to switch places with its undead brother. After a few seconds of fumbling, the two Stalfos managed to swap, although the soldier that was now standing had a bit of a shaky leg problem, and also appeared to be exhausted.

Wendy had witnessed the whole switcheroo but knew that Ganondorf still wouldn't bother talking to her. The bottom line was that he wanted something, and unless Wendy could give it to him, then he wasn't going to bother giving her any more of his time. That's when she came up with an idea, and although it wasn't anything spectacular by any means, she had a feeling that it would certainly brighten what had presumably been a pretty gloomy day for Ganondorf. Without so much as a peep, Wendy strode up the steps to the Smashville Superstore, vanishing behind the automatic doors. A few minutes later, she had re-emerged with a brown cylindrical container in her hand, as well as a receipt that she stuffed into the side pocket of her shorts.

Unsurprisingly, Ganondorf was still sitting near the bottom of the steps, but she didn't even say anything to him when she had rejoined him. Instead, she stuck the brown container in front of his nose, catching his attention as his eyes slowly glanced up at her.

"What is this?" he asked.

"Instant coffee," she replied, shaking the can of _Maxwell_ a little. The small chunks of powder within danced around like a poor man's maraca. "You're trying to make coffee, correct?"

"Yes," replied Ganondorf, eying the contents of the container curiously.

"So why don't you try using this? It'll be much easier than trying to ground your own coffee beans. This is the same stuff the café on the corner uses, anyway. What a bunch of cheapskates, am I right?"

She wasn't sure what she was expecting when she bought the coffee, but miraculously Ganondorf seemed mesmerized by the stuff. It was almost as if the answer he had been looking for had been sitting in front of him the whole time.

"Wait," he said. "You mean to tell me you can make coffee all from this hidden mixture?"

"Well, it's not exactly _hidden_ , but yeah, that's the idea," replied Wendy casually. "Just add water and poof, instant coffee. Revolutionary, I know."

This was it. This was the key that Ganondorf had been searching for this whole time. After hours of scrounging for the perfect café, and even more hours of scrounging for the perfect recipe, all of his efforts had led him back to this one small plastic can of _Maxwell House_ branded coffee. The treasure practically shined with a golden radiance, captivating the eyes of both Stalfos, despite the fact that one of them could barely see it from its position beneath Ganondorf's keister. He could almost sniff the intoxicating aroma, the very fragrance that could grant him powers immeasurable, and the endurance unknown to man or beast. And now, here it was, all within his very grasp. All he had to do was reach out and take it. His hand was just moving on its own, poised to accept, ready to mine the caffeinated gold vein that had up until a few moments ago been previously unobtainable.

And before he realized it, it was plucked from right under his nose. Gone as quickly as it came, for Wendy had lifted it up, out of his reach, and cradled it under her arm.

"Oh, so you _do_ want it," she sneered mischievously. "And here I thought you want to make coffee the old-fashioned way."

"Give it to me," Ganondorf demanded, although he remained seated. With no way to enter any establishment that sells coffee, this was the only shot he had, and by the goddesses, he wasn't about to let another opportunity slip by again.

"Um, let me think about that for a sec," said Wendy sarcastically. "No."

Ganondorf fumed with anger, not taking her mockery lightly at all. He immediately stood up, clawing his fists as he towered over her. The Stalfos that was on the ground jumped to its feet, drawing its sword along with its brother.

"Give it to me. _Now_ ," Ganondorf growled, his patience wearing thin by the second. Other random civilians who had just witnessed him stand gazed from afar, both curious and afraid of whatever outburst Ganondorf was about to unleash this time.

At this point, any sane person would have dropped the coffee and run, but his intimidation skills didn't seem to be working at all. No matter how much he snarled or grimaced, Wendy just wasn't affected. He was almost like a mad dog chained to a leash, with the chain now tout at its very limit. If that chain were to break, there was no telling what he was going to do next.

"Say please first," said Wendy. "Say please."

Did she take him for a fool? Ganondorf bowed down to nobody, and he certainly wasn't about to do it to a snotty girl in spandex shorts. The Stalfos were raring for a fight, barring their teeth as they banged their blades against their bucklers, but Ganondorf did not give them the word. Wendy had crossed the line with her obnoxious teasing, and it was time for him to make an example of her to remind the citizens of Smashville why they should never get on his bad side.


	4. Chapter 4

Black Ain't Your Color

* * *

Chapter 4

* * *

The sudden commotion had caused a scene outside of the store, but not one onlooker dared to step within the bounds of Ganondorf and his minions. People were either intrigued or downright terrified as a malevolent aura began to encircle Ganondorf, a common occurrence to those who had watched him during tournament brawls. A few teenagers had waltzed up with their phones, eagerly awaiting the inevitable trouncing Wendy was about to endure so that they could upload the footage to Youtube. Spectators who recognized both Wendy and Ganondorf seemed to be the most in awe, as this would be the first time in recorded history where the two would clash, and not even anywhere near the vicinity of the stadium either!

"I'm going to give you one more chance," Ganondorf growled. "Give me that vessel or suffer a fate worse than death itself."

By "vessel" he was referring to the tin coffee can that was currently in Wendy's possession, but like his previous advances, Wendy shrugged them off without any worry. She had to admit however, that Ganondorf did look pretty cool when he was raring for a fight. This was the first time she had seen the renowned King of Evil get so riled up.

"If you want it," she smirked, hoisting the container up on one hand, "you'll have to come and get it."

No one was really sure if she was trying to provoke him or if she was really just that naïve about his powers. Nevertheless, she had chosen her fate, and so Ganondorf followed through with his typical plan whenever it involved taking something from someone else who dared to cross him.

"Statler. Waldorf," he grimaced. "Seize her."

By their liege's command, the two Stalfos soldiers lunged towards Wendy, one of them preparing to strike her with its sword, while the other reached out to grab her arm. She anticipated such an attack, figuring Ganondorf to be a man who would rather not dirty his own hands if he could help it. Now she would be able to prove herself to him once and for all.

Wendy launched the coffee container straight up into the air wile sidestepping the first sword slash. A skeletal hand suddenly appeared in her view, but she blocked the attack with her own arm, parrying the Stalfos' assault and using its own weight against it to send it tumbling to the pavement. Another sword swipe came her way from her right, missing by a mile as she bended backwards to dodge, following through with a low sweep to put the soldier's feet above its head. The two Stalfos had stars spinning around their heads by the time Wendy stood up tall, concluding with a pose as the _Maxwell_ container landed snugly onto her outstretched palm.

Ganondorf sighed, shaking his head with embarrassment. He wasn't expecting his henchmen to be taken down _that_ fast.

"I suppose if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself," he grumbled.

There was a flash of light, and Ganondorf had completely vanished, reappearing in the blink of an eye right in front of Wendy's face. She flinched, strafing away just in the nick of time as Ganondorf clawed at the position where she once stood. His eyes were now glowing with a demonic aura, the earth beneath his feet beginning to shudder ever so slightly with every step he took.

"Hold still, wench," he snarled. "This will only take a moment."

He lunged at her yet again, so fast that he appeared to teleport. Thankfully, Wendy was light on her feet, and she was able to dodge each maneuver, but with no room to defend herself nor to counter attack. Ganondorf had nearly gone feral, his breaths becoming forced as he threw a barrage of fists and claws at her. He chased her around the sidewalk, following her through a bench, over a parked car, and even around a community tree that had been fenced off. Spectators were quick to reposition themselves in order to get a better shot at the action, and by the goddesses was this a spectacle to behold. Normally folks couldn't get to see two members of Super Smash Bros. brawling up close unless they had seats in the stadium (which were almost always sold out in the first few hours), so to see them here, now, in the flesh was a show that very few people had the chance of ever seeing up close.

"Kick his butt, Wendy! You can do it!" called a nameless Mii from the crowd.

"Ganondorf! Ganondorf!" other fans cheered, hoping that their dark lord would send Wendy on a one way trip to the moon with one of his smash attacks.

Ganondorf unleashed a flurry of punches, connecting with Wendy's own arms that she put up to block. He was forcing her on the defensive, taking a step forward with each step that she took backward in order to not get hit. She eventually backed up into a brick wall, narrowly ducking to avoid a straight lunge. Ganondorf's fists exploded a small hole in the brick, dropping some rubble on top of Wendy's head as she smiled sheepishly in response. He clawed at her yet again, but her nimble abilities allowed her to leap up above him, using his shoulder plate as a stepladder before landing gracefully on the sidewalk. She did a quick twirl and gave a bow before the crowd, showing the onlookers that her coffee tin was still in her possession.

Fuming with rage, Ganondorf crushed one of the bricks he had pulled from the wall in his bare hand. It was one thing to put up a fight with him, but to humiliate him the process, well, that might have been taking it a little too far. He didn't know what this girl's deal was, but if he had to paint the very pavement with her blood then goddesses have mercy on her.

"There's no need for applause!" said Wendy to the crowd. "I'm just trying to have some fun!"

The cheerful crowd had quickly become the fearful crowd however, for Wendy had turned her back on Ganondorf, who had a bit of a track record for fighting dirty. Little to her knowledge, he had been charging one of his infamous Warlock Punches, a move so devastating that even the Hero of Time himself could barely survive a direct hit in the arenas. A demonic aura had enveloped his fist, all of his energy concentrated into a single point in his body.

"Now you die!" he howled, unleashing his rage into his most powerful attack. It was a direct hit, stirring up a cloud of dust as the onlookers gasped and shouted upon the attack connecting with Wendy. Ganondorf yearned to hear her writhe in pain, perhaps from a lost limb, or maybe even a hole through her own abdomen. Silence would of course be the most unfortunate result, but for some reason silence was all he got by the time the aura dissipated. Not only that, but his punch did not even go all the way through, for something had stepped in the way of his attack, blocking the Warlock Punch from fully connecting with her. It honestly left him dumbfounded, for he had not felt the presence of any power greater than he in the area, so for Wendy to have survived the hit it would only have to mean one thing.

"Whew. You're pretty tough, you know that?"

Ganondorf blinked, noticing Wendy's face through the settling dust. She remained perfectly unharmed, unscathed, and reluctantly unimpressed by his display. Her only sign of weakness was in her headband, which dripped sweat as she spoke, but other than that she was absolutely fine.

"What is the meaning of this?" growled Ganondorf, but his question was soon answered when he realized that Wendy had in fact blocked his attack.

She stood there perfectly straight, one arm up to block Ganondorf's punch, while the other was at her side, holding the coffee can. Her arm hadn't even been damaged. There were no shattered bones, no broken blood vessels, hell there wasn't even a bruise where his fist had connected. Wendy was, for lack of a better term, invincible.

"What sorcerery?..." Ganondorf mumbled, unable to find the words to comprehend what he had just witnessed.

"There's no magic, Ganondorf," Wendy replied with a giggle. "Just the benefits of physical fitness."

She nudged him back, sending him into a stagger before he tumbled onto his butt. The crowd cheered and clapped, but instead of Ganondorf getting up to intimidate the useless civilians like before, he found himself too confused to stand. He just stared, mesmerized by Wendy and her humble prowess, how she, a regular human, could still hold her ground and triumph over his presumably immeasurable power.

"How…can this be?..." he muttered.

He watched as members of the crowd had come up to Wendy, patting her on the back, shaking her hand, and bombarding her with pens so she could sign autographs for them. In less than five minutes she had become a celebrity, recognized as one of the few Super Smash Bros. competitors who could muster the courage to put Ganondorf in his place, and the footage was already being uploaded online. All this time, Ganondorf had been thirsting for power that she held in her very hands, yet now he didn't even care about that at all. The power that he was searching for was within her the whole time. Even as his lowly henchmen helped him to his feet, Ganondorf still couldn't tear his gaze away from her. As impressed as he wanted to feel by her showing him up, ultimately he felt defeated for never realizing her potential sooner.

"Wendy! Are you okay?"

Princess Peach pushed her way through the crowd, Miis and Toads immediately giving her space upon realizing who she was. She appeared to be caught in the middle of her daily shopping, for a few paper bags were dangling from her hands.

"Oh, hey Peach," replied Wendy. "What's—"

"I saw the whole thing!" she said in exasperation. "I thought I told you to stay away from him!" She took a moment to catch her breath, and to Wendy she kind of sounded pissed, but for some reason she seemed to be holding back a laugh. "How on earth did you do that?"

"Milk builds strong bones?" she said jokingly. Some Toads didn't take that as a joke however, and immediately rushed to the Smashville Superstore as a result.

"Are you hurt? Do you want me to call you an ambulance?"

"Nope, I'm totally fine. See?" Wendy flexed her arm around to demonstrate her current vitality, and even still it was impressive how anyone could survive an attack as devastating as a Warlock Punch without so much as a scratch.

"Where is he?" said Peach urgently. "I'm gonna give him a peace of my mind! Assaulting a lady like that… The nerve!"

Wendy laughed, expecting an interesting argument between Ganondorf and Princess Peach about how this whole thing started over a can of instant coffee, but by the time she turned around, Ganondorf was long gone. Mysteriously, he had disappeared from the plaza, taking his Stalfos with him and leaving not a single trace behind except for a hole in the wall of some poor schmuck's Chinese restaurant.

"That's strange," she said. "He was here a second ago."

"Well I hope he learned a valuable lesson," replied Peach. "Maybe next time he'll know to save it for the tournament."

People were still coming up to give Wendy their congrats on doing the town such a huge favor, but ultimately she wasn't looking for any attention or recognition. Hell, she didn't even do it to save the town from anything. All she wanted was for Ganondorf to respect her for the fighter she was, but apparently the truth was too much for him to handle. Now she felt bad for making him run off like that, leaving her with a can of instant coffee that she wouldn't even have purchased had she not met him in the first place.


	5. Chapter 5

Black Ain't Your Color

* * *

Chapter 5

* * *

" _An amazing spectacle took place outside the Smashville Superstore this afternoon, where a local fitness instructor duked it out with Super Smash Bros. veteran, Ganondorf Dragmire. What started as banter between rivals quickly evolved into an all-out brawl as the two fighters clashed in the middle of the plaza. Miss Wendy Fit from the Wii Fit Studio had put on a tremendous display, showing us that not all battles need to be won with brute force_."

The camera cut to Wendy with a microphone up to her face.

" _Ganondorf and I kind of got off on the wrong foot_ ," she said sheepishly. " _I don't want him to take it personally. But I mean, it's kind of hard to talk things out when you're opponent just wants to fight, haha_."

"Blegh," Wendy mumbled, frowning at the white face on the television. "They say the camera adds ten pounds, but this is ridiculous."

To the average eye, Wendy's face looked more or less the same on screen as it did in real life. To her, however, it was almost like seeing herself gone three weeks without exercise and an all fatty diet. She also hated how ditzy her voice sounded.

She lowered the volume and tossed the remote on the couch, returning to her kitchen chores as she wiped down the counters after the healthy snack she just devoured. She had created the perfect egg salad sandwich, a trusty sidekick for anyone yearning for some quick protein. The spices she had picked up from the superstore were really coming through for her this time, and it was all thanks to Peach's suggestion of including powdered mustard as opposed to the slimy, liquidy stuff. With the food out of the way, the next order of business was to continue her weekly routine, which involved making her way back to the Wii Fit Studio for some hard training.

All she had to do was finish her cup of coffee.

A rough rap on the door perked her ears as the sound of the reporter on the television seemed to silence on its own. She rested her cup on the table, scurrying over to the window in order to get a gander at the random visitor. She seldom ever had guests, and even when she did, they were normally scheduled at least a day beforehand. Not to mention the mailman only arrived during the early hours of the day, so to see someone—no, three people—standing outside her house was quite a curious sight to behold.

Her heart skipped a beat when she noticed Ganondorf standing on her porch looking as disgruntled as ever. Chances are he was still miffed from what happened before, yet fate seemed to have brought them together once again, and at her own pad no less! One of the Stalfos was knocking on the door, and rather clumsily at that, for it seemed to have a hard time restraining itself from over-using its strength. As quick as a flash, Wendy reached for the doorknob, putting on the warmest smile she could muster.

"Good afternoon, Ganondorf!" she said. "What brings you to my side of town?"

Ganondorf mumbled something under his breath, his feeble minions averting their gaze out of shame or embarrassment. They didn't appear any different than they had before, and if anything Ganondorf was starting to get a sweaty head from standing in the sun too long.

"Erm, greetings, Miss Fit," he replied. "May I come in?"

Wendy had already opened the door before he even had a chance to ask, beckoning for Ganondorf and his "two boys" to have a seat at the table.

Wendy's house had a notable level of cleanliness to it, how all the furniture seemed to be spaced with a sense of accuracy, and every item placement appeared to serve an aesthetic purpose. The place itself was small, yet cozy enough for maybe two people to live in, although there was a lot of free space in a few of the rooms where gym equipment and treadmills were situated. The rooms that didn't have exercise machines in them rarely looked used, and the sight of all the workout junk could easily intimidate anyone unfamiliar with bodybuilding. Ganondorf would never have guessed the inside of the house looked like this, for from the outside the place looked about as normal and boring as every other residence in the district.

He had found the house somewhere in the grapevine of Super Smash Bros. members, thinking that only the higher ups would have any idea of where newcomer Wendy lived. Thankfully, Mario was willing to drop him a line, but that was likely before he had knew about the little scuffle in the plaza. Now with Ganondorf's face all over the news channels, he suspected it wouldn't take long for any of those "goody-two-shoe pansies" to find him out.

"Can I get you guys anything to drink?" Wendy asked. "Water, juice…" she mumbled off before noticing one of the skeletons was eager for something sweet. She found it kind of cute how childish these two hulking soldiers could act, especially when they were trying to hide it from their lord. Fortunately, Wendy's fridge was prepared for all cases of dehydration, and so, after returning with a glass of ice water and two glasses of orange juice, she was able to join her new guests in the living room.

Ganondorf's eyes were still glued to the television the whole time.

Wendy was excited to finally be able to talk to him now that he was mellowed out, but she could tell that he was still irked, likely from the misunderstanding they had in that plaza. She couldn't believe that her plan—that is, her plan to get him to come to her as opposed to her going to him—had actually worked.

"Explain yourself," said Ganondorf sternly, hunkering over the table with a tiresome glare.

"There's not much to explain really," replied Wendy nonchalantly. "My powers are just stronger than yours."

One of the Stalfos gulped, afraid that its master would step over the deep end again, but Ganondorf handled his temper. He was more confused if anything due to the fact that, according to him, there was no being in this realm that could stand toe to toe with him besides Link and Zelda. If there was another presence greater than him, he surely would have felt it a long time ago, but when he looked at Wii Fit Trainer Wendy, all he saw was a simple girl with an abnormally fit figure. And if physical fitness was all she had going for her, how in the world could she possibly put up a fight against the Triforce of Power itself?

"That can't be true," said Ganondorf seriously. "You're merely a mortal. Your body does not even have the capacity to withstand the amount of energy that courses through the other members that the Triforce has bonded me to. Compared to me, you're just a…"

"Fitness instructor?"

Ganondorf was at a loss for words, but yes, the comparison was there as clear as day. He couldn't get over how positive Wendy was as well, as if she was confident enough to spit into the eye of a demon. Obviously, she knew something that he didn't, and just sitting here while she gazed at him with that stupid smile on her face was making him all the more irritated.

"Let me tell you something," said Wendy, grabbing the attention of both the Stalfos sitting on either side of her, who before this were having a hard time drinking from their glasses without making a mess of their armor. "Ever since I was a little girl, I've been training day and night to push my body beyond its limits. If you haven't noticed, I take my job very seriously. I maintain a strict diet that I follow on a regular basis, and I always go out of my way to do recreational activities and sports. Heck, I even invented my own training regime that some of the others are using to help better themselves for the tournament." Ganondorf nodded his head as if this information was valuable, but he was still having a hard time connecting the dots. "I've been doing this for so long that I've kind of surpassed the capabilities of a regular person. Look."

She sat up straight and flexed her bicep, showing off a powerful muscle with the rigidness of an esteemed body builder. The Stalfos, having no muscles of their own, were certainly impressed, but Ganondorf didn't see anything out of the ordinary.

"So you exercise daily," he scoffed. "What is your point?"

"The point is," said Wendy, "a fit body will always triumph over an unfit body."

At that, she leaned over the table, placing her elbow at its center in order to challenge Ganondorf to the one game she knew she could beat him at.

Ganondorf cocked an eyebrow, bewildered even further than he had been in the previous moment.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm challenging you to an arm wrestle," she replied. "Come on, let's do it."

"You can't be serious." Ganondorf crossed his arms indignantly. "I don't know where your head is, girl, but it's certainly not where it's supposed to be. I asked you a question."

"You didn't ask me anything. You said you wanted an explanation. No, you _demanded_ an explanation." She squeezed the tips of her fingers a few times. "I've got your explanation right here. Come on."

Ganondorf huffed a heavy sigh, hesitating as he stared at the iron grip that was Wendy's clenched hand. She was definitely toned and prepared for this, but what exactly was she trying to prove? Everyone knew that Ganondorf was one of the physically strongest fighters in Super Smash Bros. He could launch an opponent several hundred yards away all with a simple kick from his right leg. He could level an entire building with a fully charged Warlock Punch, and his infamous axe kick could execute a man in mere seconds if spaced accurately. Yet here, sitting at the living room table with this strange newcomer girl, he didn't feel like the powerful warlock that he was. It was a feeling he had nearly forgotten about since he had left Hyrule and joined the Super Smash Bros. fighting tournament.

Pondering on this for a second, Ganondorf eventually bit the bullet and locked his grip onto Wendy's hand. His acceptance of her challenge earned a small smirk upon her face, and before they knew it, the two were focusing all their strength into their single arms. The Stalfos watched eagerly from either side, both of them unsure of what the outcome was going to be, yet secretly they hoped that Ganondorf would triumph. Sweat trickled down their foreheads as their arms seemed to vibrate, swaying back and forth every now and then but never once crossing the median that was between them. This was a test that both Ganondorf and Wendy were very familiar with.

Just as she had shown him in the street, Wendy's power was not to be underestimated. Slowly, Ganondorf's arm began to give away, caught under the pressure as Wendy seemed to push back with twice as much force. Before anyone knew it, he had been defeated, his arm collapsing onto the waxed wood while Wendy held it down like a in real wrestling match.

"You don't lift," said Wendy, looking at him straight in the eyes. "You don't exercise, and if those guys are any indication, you probably don't eat that well either."

By "those guys," of course she was referring to the Stalfos, but both of them were too stupefied to notice.

Ganondorf growled in anger, despising this humiliation and wishing he could just shove his fist through her face and rip her tongue out.

"So why then?" he said. "Why mock me in front of all those people if you already know the source of my power?"

"I wasn't trying to mock you." She retracted her arm. "I was trying to get your attention." She leaned back again, casually crossing her leg over the other. "I can help you get back into shape. Come down to the studio on Monday, and I'll introduce you into my training program. What do you say?"

"That is not going to happen," Ganondorf muttered distastefully. "Who do you think you are, challenging me? I have conquered worlds with my own two fists. I have murdered hundreds of thousands of men on their own soil!"

"Yet you can't even beat me in an arm wrestle," replied Wendy seriously. "You're strong, Ganondorf, but not as strong as you'd like to be. Think about that power and what it could become if you just took better care of yourself. The results would be immeasurable in comparison."

Whether he wished to admit it or not, Wendy did have a point, and that's honestly what bothered Ganondorf the most. He hadn't considered increasing his power the old fashioned way, as artificially enhancing it with his own magic seemed to have more immediate effects. That was the whole reason why he had wanted to obtain a cup of coffee, believing that if the caffeine gave regular humans unnatural stamina, it would surely multiply his own strength tenfold. Yet now, after talking to Wendy one on one, he realized that the coffee was merely a figment compared to what he could be working towards. If this was Wendy's power without the use of drugs, magic, and whatever else was out there, then if he applied the same techniques to himself, there was a chance he could grow to become even more deadly than he was now. And if he could go that far…

It was a fool's opportunity, but it was an opportunity nevertheless. Ganondorf decided that he would give himself twenty-four hours to think about it before coming to any sort of decision.

"Thank you for your time, Miss Fit, but I'm afraid we have to be going," he said, gesturing for his henchmen to leave.

"What, already?" Wendy replied. "Don't you want to hear more about this?"

"I've heard all I've needed to hear," said Ganondorf as he stood up. "Your hospitality, while aggressive… was satisfactory. I really must be going though, lest I wish to be harassed by more news reporters. Please, don't get up."

Wendy ignored his last statement, reluctantly rushing to the door to open it for them. She wanted them to stay longer, at least to give her a chance to learn more about Ganondorf. Perhaps she might have been a little too harsh with her fitness lessons.

"Well, alright then," she said, "but don't forget what we talked about. Monday morning, 7 A.M. You got that?"

Ganondorf gave no sign that he heard her as his black cape whisked past her nose upon stepping out into the sunlight. One of the Stalfos who passed by gave Wendy a quick shake of the hands as a way of saying thanks, and fortunately out of Ganondorf's sight. The dark lord opened a malefic portal at the end of the walkway, disappearing through it without so much as saying good-bye.

Wendy sighed as she closed the door, returning to the kitchen so that she could pull up a chair and finish watching the rest of the news broadcast. Unfortunately, the program had already ended, and the newscasters were going on about sports and other events pertaining to the tournament. It took Wendy a second to notice that her coffee had already gone cold.


End file.
